To keep things timely, ask guests to show up 15 minutes early for check-in. Make sure to print name badges ahead of time so guests can move through the door quickly. We invite a mix of customers and prospects so having enough time to personally greet guests and show them their seat helps us create a welcoming environment for everyone.
Splash’s Host app allows you to check-in guests with a swipe of a finger. It’s so discreet guests won’t even know it happened.
No matter how big or small the attendee turnout, running through quick intros (name, title, company) helps create a more engaging convo later. Plus, guests won’t leave feeling like they only got to meet the people sitting closest to them.
To loosen everyone up, try throwing in a curveball question like go-to karaoke song, favorite TV show, or dream vacation. We’ve also hired part-time entertainment for some quick comedy ice breakers to help guests laugh off any nerves. Intros set the tone for the rest of the dinner, so prioritize making them fun and engaging.
The best dinner parties center around a shared conversation. When we spoke with Sam Jacobs, CEO at Pavillion, he said, "At our dinners, there's only one conversation. There's no cross-talk."
We follow the same practice.
Like Jacobs, we've learned it's crucial to create an inclusive environment that encourages participation from everyone at the table.
Prepare your dinner moderator to present this "dinner code of conduct" at the beginning of the discussion so guests know what to expect.
There will be natural breaks throughout the dinner where it’ll make sense for attendees to engage in some unstructured conversations, but remember to always bring the group back together for your main discussions.
Remember to leave guests smiling with a treat from the event. Branded swag or a gift card to the restaurant are popular choices; it could also be something like a notebook and pen you hand out at the beginning of the dinner for taking notes.
But the cherry on top doesn’t have to happen at the event itself. Remember that what happens post-event is just as important. If budgets are tight, you can still offer something personal while keeping it affordable. Send a follow-up email with a custom page that includes everyone’s name, LinkedIn, fun facts, and any content captured at the event. Guests will appreciate the special touch and be eager to share with their online network.
Splash offers 40+ templates to make creating a post-event page possible in a matter of minutes.
The best way to know if a guest enjoyed the experience? Ask them. Immediacy is key when it comes to collecting post-event feedback. We send out surveys the following day to ask attendees about their overall experience, what they found valuable, and how we can improve the next dinner.
Most guests are happy to participate, but incentives always help if responses are lacking. We’ve used these insights over the last year to perfect the timing, discussion, and follow-up of our VIP dinner experiences.
The dinner is just the beginning. Take all of your learnings and feed them into your marketing programs. Create a webinar series around common topics or pain points discussed, write a blog post about new insights you gained, or create a social post with event highlights. Or maybe even create a piece of content for your own VIP dinner playbook. *wink wink*
